Fruit-drier.



No. 683,083. I Patented Sept. 24, I901. E. u. moms & a. L. THOMPSON.

FRUIT DRIER.-

(Application filed Fab. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.) 4

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' WITNESSES I B /N VENTOHS:

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UNiTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERASTUS N. THOMAS AND GAMALIEL L. THOMPSON, OF JEFFERSON, OREGON.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 683,083, dated September24, 1901. Application filed February 26, 1901. Serial No. 48,910. (Nomodel.)

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ERASTUS N. THOMAS and GAMALIEL L. THOMPSON,residing at J of ferson, in the county of Marion and State of Oregon,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Driers; andwe do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the. art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

The invention relates to stack-driers where the trays rest on oneanother, and has for its special object to bring the fruit downgradually to a maximum of heat, so as to preserve the natural flavor andyet dry it perfectly. We use a tunnel in which the trays are inserted atan upper door and removed at a lower one, being supported by props whichare pushed into grooves by a vertically-slid ing trip to let the lowesttray down to the lower door, where it is removed.

Figure 1 of the drawings is an elevation in perspective to show the twofront doors of the drier and the lever by which the tripper is operated;Fig. 2, a side vertical section showing the position of the tray-propsat the farther side and a tray on the frame; Fig. 3, a side elevation ofa prop and adjacent parts, partly in section; Fig. 4, a plan View of atray on which the fruit is held while in the drier, and Fig. 5 is a planof the lower part of the frame.

In the drawings, A represents our tunne1- drier with the two front doorsa a, one above the other, and B the trays, the latter being preferablymade with wire-mesh bottoms to allow the uprising hot air to passtherethrough.

0 represents the four stack-props, made with a head or catch 0 at theupper end, which are intended to support the stack of trays, and aprojection c at the lower end on the same side, for a purposehereinafter described.

D is a horizontal frame to support all the trays until the bottom one isseparated from the others, to trip the props, and to throw out the headsor catches c to support all but the bottom tray by striking the foot 0.

The props C are made on a very obtuse angle 0 the upper arm carrying thehead 0, While the lower arm carries the foot or pro jection c. Thisallows them when placed in the grooves a to be operated by thetripframe, so that the heads on its upward move-' ment will be made todisappear in their grooves and allow said frame to support the stack oftrays. Then on the downward movement of the frame D it strikes the feeta and forces the heads 0 to push out into the traynotches b of the traythat is next to the last.

This allows the bottom tray to lie loose on the frame D before the lowerdoor a, ready to be taken out, while another tray is put in through theupper door a.

The trip-frame D is connected by parallel bars 01' d with a cross-bar 01to which is con nected by a hook and eye (13 the front end of alever F.The latteris pivoted on a fulcrum piece G, so that its free end willproject over' the front of the drier, where it can be ma nipulated bythe attendant.

What we claim as new is A fruit-drier having a tunnel with the doors a aand grooves a the trays B provided with the notches b, the obtuse-angledstack-props having the upper catches c and lower projections c, thetrip-frame D movable up and down to act upon said catches andprojections in the grooves a and the trip-lever F, all combinedconstructed and arranged substan tially in the manner and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ERASTUS N. THOMAS. GAMALIEL L. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

T. M. WITTEN, B. F. BLACKWELL.

